TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona State softball team (44-9, 15-7 Pac-12) opened its final series of the regular season with a 3-2 victory over third-ranked Oregon (45-8, 18-4 Pac-12) on Thursday night.
With all of the runs scored in the third inning for both teams, the Sun Devils came back from a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the frame, and that was enough for Dallas Escobedo to earn her 25th win of the season. Escobedo (25-4) struck out 10 batters in the contest, besting Jessica Moore (24-4), who had five strikeouts through six innings.
ASU kept a lethal Oregon lineup off the board until the third inning, when Allie Burger hit a soft liner off the leg of Escobedo in the circle. Janie Takeda followed in the next at-bat with a homer to right-center to give the Ducks a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the third, a trio of consecutive two-out hits helped ASU reclaim the lead. The rally started with a blooper behind second base by Cheyenne Coyle that scored pinch runner Allie Butterfield. A single to left from Amber Freeman brought in Alix Johnson to tie the score, and Haley Steele put the Devils ahead by bringing in Coyle with a single to right.
Oregon is the highest-ranked team ASU has beaten this season. The Ducks' loss was their first since April 27 and ended a six-game winning streak.
